The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-10
BEN D. HOUSE AND HIS WORK.

Benjamin Davenport House, whose death &C.
Cured last Monday. was Of many uufortu-
nate men doomed TO be generally misunderstood
and misjudged. His career may be described as
that OF a soldier, poet and journalist. The i'm
pressions upon the mind Of boy who sees men
slain in battle at an age when he should be at
home cannot be of the best, and Mr.. Houses
life was. to n great degree, influenced by his
service in the army. His health was ruined by
wounds received in battle. and HE death, after
twenty five years. is directly traceable to them
Like all geniuses, he was variable, and very
often. if not always, acted according to mood.
His education self acquired, but the range
of subjects in which he was informed was re-
rnarkably broad. Any thing that pleased him he
would study thoroughly. His memory
derful. and consequently anything he had rend
or personally witnessed was ever at his com
mand. SAKE not more witty than he, and
his sharp retorts tended to make him unpopul ar
While in the army he was several times reduced
for insubordin alton and addressing disrespectful
remarks TO his superiors.
AS boy, Mr. House was fond of reading
poetry, and lyrics best pleased his fancy
He did verse-writng before joining the
army, and while soldier contributed poems
various newspapers among them being the Wor-
cester Mass Spy. Upon putting down the
sword, pencil and pen readily to his hand
In addition TO his journalistic work, be wrote oc-
casional poems throughout his life, and to his
later work as poet this article is directed. So
slightingly did he regard his poetic writings that
he preserved none OF them until urged to do
90 by friend who gave him a scrap book for the
purpose This book contains nothing written
prior to 1881.
MIR. Houses poems are peculiar in their orig
contemporary writer, it is Whittier. Nothing
could be stranger than that man truly
soldier and lover of things war-like should hold
in the highest esteem the simple Quaker poet
Dante he placed above Shakespeare. He was
conversant with the writings of the Greek poets,
and preferred old to poetry However,
when it is said that he initiated Whittier
the statement applies chiefly to descriptive
poems.
He wrote with little effort his ideas &C
commodatlng themselves to line and verso with
ease He wrote smoothly, but great fault
that no sometimes repeated the same express
sions until they became threadbare. HIS war
poems are the strongest of those he preserved,
and to be taken among his best. 'Pre-
sent Arms" was the title of stirring song
printed through syndicate Independence
day, several years ago. Two stanzas sub
Joined:
Roar guns, again. with peace evangeH
Blend gray Of smoke with blue Of the sky
As the blue and gray wrought and blended
When wars red horror had passed US by.
Peal forth, again your notes. oh, bugles!
With sounds Of pea CO like rhythmic rune
Salute with your songs the Nations morning,
That shall know afternoon.
Through this poem are striking couplets like
this:
Pogr forth from your iron lips; Oh; cannon.
The rose-red breath of a mighty laugh
NJ roe
inal poems at soldier reunions and anniversaries.
AT the dedication of the Knightstowu Home
for Soldiers Orphans he recited to the children
poem OF his own comp position, which was beau
tifu in its entirety, but exceptional is this quota
ton:
No dole of charity We eat
But bread from grain that shall not fail,
Outbeaten when wars sounding fail
Threshed out mems souls like grains of wheat.
In another poem of this character, written in
She same stanza-form, these words occur:
For those fought in all my song
Not any thread of hate is blent,
Who, urged by their environment, y
Against battled for the wrong.
Next to these verses patriotic themes, and
perhaps of greater literary value. are Mr. Houses
descriptive poems. He lover OF the beau
tiful. and the glories of nature with APP
preciativc eyes He could draw n that
5would stanu ont like picture. However these
poems though perfect an execution, show the
frequent iteration before mentioned, ana in
collection the repetitions the more obvious
A poem called THE Wine Of Summer" printed
many yenrs ago and copied everywhere. one
OF tho best of these Every autumn it is again
started the rounds. The first and last stanzas
are reproduced, and they show his perception
and method of treatment
The toward the south has rolled.
The shades of autumn follow,
The butterment like FURNISHED gold,
Shines in the shaded hollow.
Too indolent to ever think
All thoughts unwelcome coners
As in waking dream 1 drink
The wine of rPened summers.
The poems miscellaneous subjects are
deal into quatraIn, o. sonnet, the latter being
favorite form Of expression. He well IN
formed in sacred history. Although generally
supposed to be an atheist he possessed a grand
faith which is every where in his writings
Indicative of this Is "A Prayer" from which a
verse lie taken:
only ask for faith that I
May beyond the cleaning
Of marble points that pierce the sky,
simple glimpse Of by and by
OF those lose who rosecouched lie
To prove am not dreaming.
Those who knew him best believe that his ir-
reverence was largely for effect This wore
HRpSsy he grew older. He held the hypocrite
IN high 9isdain. and in his poems now and then
vented Eis sprie against those whom he deemed
3nsincere. For hi be said
On the one fact I am I base m y trust
And oelng. \ am neither poor nor mean
An atom lostwithn world of dust,
Ellie had never been
Again, IN .Gods Gift" he writes
am nes worthy, o Anguidiug Father.
Who was so blind of sight and trust in Thee,
That round about my erring life should gather
- The joys Thou gvest me.
!. But Thy kind hand hath lifted every sadness
That held me in their crcling cinctures bound.
And through Thy gift wear a golden gladness
With which my life is crowned.
Frequently, in his poems. Mr.. House struck
sweet sad strain shat could come from none
otnsr than trusting, SYMPATHETIC heart II
was due 10 this that his work was SO widely
copied by the press
Poets who attempt amatory verse tread on
dangerous ground. but Mr.. House wrote many
beautiful love poems. One of these is a pure
gem. Ii is called
ALTER EGO.